THE BOOT ST O R I E S F R O M T H E T E X A S H I L L C O U N T RY
D R A W N BY L EG ACY, A FO U R-STA R G E N E R A L RETURNS HOME
F R E D E R I C K S B U R G’ S RO B U ST J U N I O R G O L F P RO G R A M
E X P LO R E O N E O F T H E F I R ST W I N E R I ES I N T H E T E X A S H I L L CO U N T RY
2020 | ISSUE 1
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Exterior of Gwen and Don Hanna’s home in Boot Ranch; the Hannas in their living room; front entry of the Hannas’ home.
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A POTENT MIX OF OLD AND NEW STORY BY K AREN KRA JCER
For Gwen and Don Hanna, home is a place to fill with gratitude.
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fter making Boot Ranch their primary residence in June 2019, Houstonians Don and Gwen Hanna quickly set about filling their new home with memories. Walking across their covered patio overlooking a neighboring twothousand-acre ranch, Gwen recalls a favorite. It was Thanksgiving, and the couple’s seven children and seven grandchildren had gathered around the outdoor gas fire pit. “Everyone was laughing, dancing, all snuggled up,” she says. “The grandchildren were lit up like firecrackers.” The sweetest sound came in the form of a question—the question that every family-focused empty nester longs to hear: “Mom, can we do this every year?”
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Though Gwen jokes that they designed their home to “entrap” their kids, the couple’s architectural style, décor, and collected treasures clearly make it their own. Gwen, a retired business developer, and Don, a retired banking executive, have traveled all over the world, but their hearts are in the Texas Hill Country. “We loved living in Houston,” Gwen explains, “but timing is everything, and we grew into the Hill Country. When you see that view, you could be anywhere in the world. You could be in France, Spain, Italy, Washington State . . . it’s absolutely stunning.” As lovers of the outdoors, the couple sought to create a home that was rooted in the natural environment of the Hill Country. Noting their use of local limestone and their vantage point atop the highest point of Boot Ranch, Gwen likes that their home seems to have “grown right up out of the ground.” Designed by Chad Faucheux of Design Visions and built by Centurion Custom Homes, both based in Fredericksburg, the Hannas’ “old-world modern” sensibility brings the natural beauty of the outside in with local materials and big sky views. Highlighting the home’s
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natural surroundings, Itschner Landscape of Kerrville designed groupings of similar native plants, such as yucca, blue agave, and other deer-resistant varieties. The front porch sets the tone for what guests will encounter inside: a thoughtfully curated mix of old-world artifacts and natural elements offset by a clean, contemporary backdrop. Beneath one of the home’s many reclaimed or custom-made metal chandeliers, an elk-skull mount welcomes guests to enter the steel-framed glass doors or relax on an intricately carved European wooden bench with a Fortuny throw pillow. “It’s fun to mix the old and the new,” says Gwen, who handled the interior decorating herself. “We’ve created a look that is minimalist but with a lot of texture and color.” Stepping into the spacious great room with its 24-foot limestone walls and polished, concrete floors feels like entering a sacred space. Large windows let in natural light while framing the rolling hills and scrub oaks beyond. From exquisite Richard MacDonald bronze sculptures to Rembrandt lithographs, “every piece of art has a story,” Gwen says. The Dave McGary bronze
The walls of the house are built with local limestone, a testament to the family’s love of the Hill Country. OPPOSITE: The butler’s pantry, walk-in wine cooler and guest bedroom are a study in subtle colors, and rich textures.
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THIS PAGE: Animal tropies, like this African kudu over the double-sided fireplace, are found throughout the house. OPPOSITE: The interior decorating, handled by Gwen Hanna, is a mix of old and new.
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sculpture of a young American Indian girl in full headdress, In Her Father’s Footsteps, reminds Gwen of her “personal hero,” her father. In the kitchen, a longtime favorite Frank Hyde painting of nineteenth-century monks tasting soup in their own kitchen welcomes guests as they help themselves to a drink from the open concept bar. Select animal trophies in nearly every room create an intriguing contrast between the wild and the refined. Over the double-sided fireplace presides an African kudu mount, and in the guest room, visitors receive a unique welcome from a full-body-mount bobcat that Don shot in Cotulla, Texas. From its position of casual repose on the guest bed, this “cougar on a shelf,” as Gwen calls it, has startled many a workman as well. The guest room is one of many spaces that the Hannas designed around a lighting centerpiece, in this case, a Lapland reindeer chandelier. Don indicates tiny holes in the antlers where Finnish children once hung streamers for celebrations. Dinner parties gather in the formal dining room around a table made of reclaimed wood from a train station in Nice, France. Noting the table’s contrast with the room’s gilded European baroque
fixtures, Gwen comments, “There are no rules. It’s just what you love.” Larger parties spill into the informal dining area near the kitchen and open bar. “We love to entertain,” she says. Though Gwen cooks three meals a day and says that her “kitchen isn’t for looks,” the space is stunning. The towering custom hood over the gas cooktop is an architectural centerpiece in itself. Striking black soapstone countertops on the substantial island remain clutter-free during parties when prep-work and cleaning occur behind the closed door of the back kitchen. A nearby butler’s pantry keeps dining wear organized and easily accessible, an important feature for the Hannas, who use their crystal and silver every day. “We don’t say, ‘Someday we’re going to use that,’” Gwen explains, “because someday is here.” A walk-in wine closet stores the couple’s favorite wines from all over the world, as well as a burgeoning collection from the Texas Hill Country. “We are starting to branch into Texas wines, which have come a long way,” Gwen remarks. Don agrees: “We’re really appreciating what’s happening in the Hill Country. There are something like 68 vineyards within a twenty-mile radius.”
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Their favorites include nearby Grape Creek Vineyards and 4.0 Cellars. In addition to family gatherings, the couple’s most meaningful entertaining is their small Christian fellowship group that gathers for House Church. On Sunday evenings, eight families meet at each other’s homes to enjoy speakers, music, and Bible study. “House Church warms the place up even more,” Gwen says. The reclaimed wood doorframe of the den marks the home’s transition from social to serene. Hand-hewn reclaimed timbers from an early nineteenth-century barn in Ohio surround this intimate space, softly illuminated by gilded driftwood sconces and a red stag antler chandelier. In the master bedroom, an artfully repurposed millstone serves as a table, while a large stone olive jar enjoys new life as a lamp. Though the centerpiece of the room is the bed’s nineteenth-century headboard with a castle medallion, the heart of the room is a colorful and captivating oil painting. Commissioned from Alaskan artist Heidi Hahn, the portrait of an American Indian grandfather with granddaughter illustrates the powerful bond between
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the old and the young, the mentor and the mentee. What makes it even more special is Don’s personal connection with the grandfather figure. Gwen explains: “The artist said that she needed an old man’s hand as a model, and Don asked, ‘Would you like mine?’” The couple capitalizes on their expansive views with an attached privatescreened porch and a spacious master bathroom, featuring a shower with carefully placed (head-high) windows. Visiting family spends the night in a private, second-floor apartment and bunkroom over the three-car garage. With so many outdoor activities at Boot Ranch, “Gigi and Poppy’s” is the place to be, which is exactly how Gwen and Don want it. When their children are away, Gwen most appreciates her Renoir lithograph, Mother and Two Children. “You want your children and grandchildren to remember that you love them more than the next breath,” she says, “and we can do it here. We live with a lot of gratitude.”
THIS PAGE: The Hannas’ den, with walls of reclaimed wood from an early nineteenthcentury barn. OPPOSITE: The guest apartment with built-in bunk beds.
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